Temples, Palaces and Forts oh My

Sunset over the Orchha River

Between tiger searching our tour of India took us to several small cities and villages . As our trusty guide Yaddu says “India doesn’t live in the cities, it lives in the villages”.  Driving, or dodging as I’d call it, through the countryside you really get the sense of how locals live here in India, you also get the sense of how short life really is.  I say dodging because driving here is really just about pointing your vehicle in one direction and dodging whatever happens to be coming at you with your horn as your only defense. This could be anything from large trucks, people walking or pedaling, goats – lots of goats, cows – lots and lots of cows, camels, buffalo and even the occasional chicken. We were pretty used to the roads in Asia but even we shut our eyes a few times when sensing oncoming doom.

Barreling through villages and towns you can see life moves at a slower pace. People don’t seem as pushy, fields are still plowed with Oxen, food is cooked over open fires and kids may have to walk a long way to school. We did see kids and adults going to the toilet on the side of the road but always just shook off those images. There’s not many signs of urban development accept for the occasional mobile phone tower and maybe that’s a good thing. I found I enjoyed myself much better in the smaller towns/villages of India as compared to the larger cities of Delhi or Jaipur.

Traffic jams in the Indian state of Rajasthan are very interesting. In Los Angeles you might catch someone picking their nose, here you can see all sorts of interesting things. In this case we were waiting for a train and talking to camels.

Khajuraho – The Temples of Kama Sutra
A “quick” seven hour, 176 kilometer drive from Bandhavgarh brought us to Khajuraho which was our first stop on the temple tour.  Khajuraho is famous for its temples depicting figures of Kama Sutra. There are many temples in the Western, Eastern and Southern groups of temples but we only toured the Eastern group of temples which was a short five minute walk from the Hotel Surya where we stayed. Although these fabulously preserved temples are famous for Kama Sutra, really only 2.5% of the figures depicted are in sexual poses. The other 97.5% of the carvings are traditional Hindu and very beautiful to look upon. That being said, we found most people came for the naughty carvings and the temples without naughty carvings seemed to be pretty empty. All the temples here, not just the naughty temples, have an interesting history and very nice carvings.

Temples in Khajuraho

Kids close your eyes. 2.5% of the carvings on these temples are erotic in nature. Check out the link at the bottom to see additional carvings.

Orchha – A Hidden Gem
From Khajuraho we took a quick and bumpy five hour, 143 kilometer drive to the small town of Orchha. Orchha, which literally translates into “hidden”, is home to many different temples and palaces that flourished during the 17^th century. Like many people, prior to this trip we hadn’t heard of Orchha, hence it’s hidden name.

The beautiful river Betwa runs alongside Orchha and is a really great place to watch the sunset. We got several good pics just after we arrived. While taking some pics we met some Indian tourists who wanted to get their picture taken with Pamela.  That night, Yaddu, our fearless guide, took us to the Ramraja Temple where we watched a Hindu prayer service. It seemed as though many of the temple-goers were more interested with us and what we were doing than what was going on in the temple. Ramraja Temple is unique in that it was originally built as a palace for the queen so it doesn’t resemble a temple at all from the outside.

Pamela, Dave, Carole, Linda, Steph, Liz and Yaddu. Our tiger searching team.

The next morning we awoke and Yaddu treated us to a really good explanation of the basics of the Hindu religion. To say that Hinduism is complex, at least for me, is an understatement. I’m not sure how anyone can remember everything and I’m still unsure if there are 3.3 million or 33 million different gods. In either case it was a great introduction to the Hindu gods of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva.

After the talk we ventured out for a tour of the Raja Mahal and Jehangir Mahal palaces, both built in the 17^th century and both very well preserved. The Jehangir Mahal palace, the grander of the two, was built over a 22 year period for the Mughal King Jehangir. King Jehangir visited the palace and stayed for one night before leaving for Lahore. Twenty-two years of work for a one night stay! I’ve heard of a one night stay leading to 22 years of work but not the other way around.

Pamela in the Jehangir Mahal palace in Orchha.

The Raja Mahal palace was built by King Madhukar Shah and contains some very nice paintings in the bedrooms of the King and his concubines. The king had six concubines living in the palace, each with their own room. The kings room contained passageways to each one of his concubines rooms. The passageways were constructed to prevent other palace goers from seeing which room the King was visiting. It’s said that he had six concubines, one for every day of the week except Sunday, which was his day of rest.

Karauli – Maharaja and Maharani for the Night
Our tiger crew stopped in the small town of Karauli for the night in between Agra and Ranthambore. Our hotel used to be used as a residence for the local Maharaja, similar to a governor or mayor, of the area. The main villa, constructed in 1938, was full of old photos from times past. Many photos included the local royal family on hunting expeditions where they would kill tigers, leopards and deer. The main dining room contained two stuffed leopard heads and the main entry room contained a stuffed tiger, probably one that the royals had hunted and killed.

Relaxing in our Royal Suite in Karauli

Now we're talking. Any hotel with hunting weapons on the wall is okay by me.

The front of our hotel in Karauli

Pamela and I were shown to our room and were surprised to find a huge suite, complete with a large porch, fancy chandelier and two separate smaller bedrooms. We were told by the porters that we were sleeping in the Maharaja’s old room. This was a treat for us after some of the rugged rooms we’d been in over the last week. That night we dined al fresco in a fancy courtyard surrounded by colorful lights. The whole stay had us feeling very royal indeed. We were a bit disappointed the next morning when we had to pack-up and leave. Our one night of Maharaja and Maharani was over. We did have one bad experience while at the palace. Pamela was eating a bowl of corn flakes and found a piece of rat poop in the corn flakes, mind you this was her second bowl of corn flakes. She felt a bit sick to her stomach of the thought of eating rat poop but she was okay in the end.

All our photos from our visit through rural India can be found here: https://picasaweb.google.com/117257906652666550268/KhujarhoOrchhaKarauli?authuser=0&feat=directlink

Cheers for Now -

Pamela and Dave

Searching for Tigers - Part Two – Ranthambore

Do you see the tiger in this photo?

Searching for tigers in the wild is tough business. If that quote sounds familiar it’s because I started part one of this post with the exact statement, I thought it prudent to reiterate. Our tiger safari crew was pumped-up heading into our fourth and second to last tiger spotting opportunity. We had just spent several days touring the countryside of India with stops at Khajuraho, Orchha, Agra and Karauli before pulling into Ranthambore on an early Monday afternoon. We’ve seen all the temples and forts we can handle and now we’re ready for the real reason we’re all here, tigers. Ranthambore National Park in the state of Rajasthan is possibly India’s most popular tiger spotting destination. Many safari vehicles line the main road of the town and everywhere you turn there is a sign advertising safari booking.

Our Tiger Crew with Yaddu in the front.

Waiting to get into Ranthambore National Park

Our 20 person cantor safari vehicle pulled-up to the Raj Palace hotel and all seven of us jumped-in and took our seats. Five more minutes and a group of 13 boarded the beast of a safari truck for a twenty minute ride into the park. First stop was some passport formalities and a surprise 400 Rupee ($8.50 USD) fee for using my video camera inside the park. Ranthambore is divided up into six different tourist zones totaling approximately 400 square kilometers. Your zone number is determined by random (supposedly) with some zones being distinctly better than others. We lucked out and were granted access to zone three, the supposed best zone of the park, our hopes were high and it seemed fate was on our side.

A crocodile in Ranthambore

Sixty minutes into the hot and bumpy ride our dust-filled eyes caught sight of fresh tiger tracks on the road. A big male heading one direction while a female heading in the opposite. You can tell the difference in the tracks by the toe length, a female tiger has a slightly longer toe. Along with the tracks we came upon some fresh, very fresh by the smell, tiger poop in the road. The driver followed the big male’s footprints up the winding dirt road through the foothills. At this point our adrenaline is pumping, any moment we can turn the corner and come face-to-face with a wild Bengal tiger.

We tracked the tiger until his tracks vanished into the thick brush. When his trail was no more our driver pulled the truck over and parked. We waited there for quite some time hoping the tiger might backtrack and make an appearance. I should also add that there were about six other safari trucks in the area, all jostling for position to spot the elusive tiger. Unfortunately fate was not on our side that day. The elusive tiger never reappeared and we spent our afternoon driving around the park looking at various types of deer, some birds and a few crocodiles. The crocodiles were the bright spot of the afternoon as we were pretty tired of seeing the deer and birds. Sunset came and we were out of the park by 6:00pm with an optimistic view for our 5^th and final safari the next morning.

Sunset in Ranthambore

Six o’clock the next morning came all too fast. Pamela and I jumped out of bed with four minutes to spare for our safari meet time. We threw our clothes on and ran outside expecting to see everyone waiting for us on the truck. Fortunately, or unfortunately, our safari truck that morning was at least 30 minutes late. When it finally showed-up our crew of seven was quickly ushered onto a relatively full cantor, most stuck in the very back, Pamela and I up front sharing a seat. Not only was the truck 30 minutes late but we also were given permission to visit zone one of the park, supposedly one of the worst zones. Fate was not on our side that morning.

Larege male deer in Ranthambore

One of the many langur monkeys in the park.

Thirty minutes into the ride things weren’t looking well, we stopped to look at many little birds and deer, all of which our crew could have done without. We were there to spot tigers, we didn’t want to spend 10 minutes staring at a little bird. We drove around for the next 90 minutes looking for any signs of a tiger but to no avail. We spent part of the time dodging other safari vehicles which always seemed to be going in the opposite direction as us on tiny little roads. Our safari truck was teeming with small children and hearing impaired adults, all of whom talk very-very loudly, any tiger in their right mind would have been catching the next train to Mumbai if they heard us coming.

Carol, Linda and Steph waiting patiently to go.

Our 5^th and final safari culminated in a 25 minute bathroom break, which we found very fitting. All the safari trucks stopped, the guides had some tea and discussed the mornings events or lack thereof, while our tiger crew waited ever so patiently in the truck. Our driver and guide eventually corralled the remainder of our trucks occupants and we drove back to the hotel with very dejected looks on our faces.

The only tiger we saw on this day.

Ranthambore may be a decent place to spot tigers but we felt like we had a much better chance in Bandhavgarh National Park. If we were to do this again, which we probably won’t, we’d definitely skip Ranthambore and spend more time in Bandhavgarh. In Ranthambore your chances of getting a poor zone (like we did with zone one) are pretty high and zone selection could make or break your safari. Not to mention the tiger density in Ranthambore is much less than Bandhavgarh. Ranthambore is reported to contain about 34 tigers spread out over 400 square kilometers where Bandhavgarh is reported to have 23 tigers spread out over 106 square kilometers.

Our tiger, from 30 meters in the near dark.

We came to India to see wild tigers and we succeeded in seeing one wild tiger in Bandhavgarh. We hoped to see many more but with a dwindling population I think we were fortunate to see just one, especially considering we were here just after monsoon season which as we know now, is the worst time to visit. a

Here is the video we managed to get of the only wild tiger we saw in India. Unfortunately the tiger was at some distance in the near dark so it's a little hard to see.

Along with our tiger spotting came many other positives from this portion of our honeymoon. First and foremost we met a new group of friends in our wonderful tiger safari crew. Second we visited many beautiful places in India, most of which I’d never even heard of before this trip and last but not least we had the opportunity to tour rural India and see how India lives outside of the large cities. We will forever cherish the memories of this trip and are so thankful to have the opportunity to come to such a place as India for a chance to view the highly endangered Bengal Tiger.

All the photos from our Tiger Safaris can be found here: https://picasaweb.google.com/117257906652666550268/SearchingForTigers?authuser=0&feat=directlink

Cheers for Now –

Pamela and Dave

South Asia – Done and Done

Sunset over the Betwa River in Orchha, India

We've just wrapped-up the 86^th day of our honeymoon with flights out of South Asia to Europe. So far we’ve traveled about 34000 kilometers (21000 miles) on our honeymoon. Much of the distance has been covered in the air but quite a bit in busses, trains, cars and countless tuk-tuks and rickshaws. We’ve spent the last 41 days in South Asia and have made some awesome memories and friends along the way.  Nepal, Maldives and India were all really good to us but we’re excited to move on to our next adventures.  The below is a brief summary of our last 6 weeks and a quick update on budget and health.

Nepal
We spent the majority of our time in Nepal and are definitely thankful for it. While in Nepal we trekked, rafted, jungle walked and relaxed; all the while trying to immerse ourselves in the culture and customs of the local Nepali people. Our second day in Kathmandu brought us to a Hindu temple where we witnessed cremation ceremonies on a river that flows to the Ganges, this was a bit of a culture shock but definitely very interesting and something that shouldn’t be missed.

Trekking in the Annapurna range of the Himalayas was one of the highlights of the trip so far and possibly one of the highlights of my life, at least so far. Unsurpassed beauty, decades old trails, welcoming villagers and amazing company are just some of the memories we’ll take from our trekking. Seeing how the local villagers lived in the mountain villages was really a source of inspiration. We passed so many kids on the trails who had to walk a long while to school each day, most with smiles on their faces. Spending some time in the Himalayas caused me to appreciate my own life and all of things we’re blessed with on a daily basis. This was the case for all of Nepal though. We really enjoyed our stay there and would definitely go back.

Maldives
There’s not much more I can say about the Maldives that I didn’t say in our Paradise articles one and two. We had an awesome time and want to go back sooner than later, preferably today if possible. Next time we’re going to shoot for an island farther away from the main islands as we want to fly on the floatplane. This was the “official” portion of our honeymoon and it was well worth it.

Wishing I was back here

India
You don’t just visit India, you smell, taste, touch, hear and feel the subcontinent. It really is an assault on your senses (some not all good) but a place not to be missed. We spent 16 days in India, managed to see a wild tiger, saw quite a bit of temples, palaces, forts and ate some very good food.

Our overall time in India was great but we did have some rather unpleasant experiences. From the few unpleasant experiences we’ve learned quite a bit for next time. We’ve learned that India train travel is probably not for us. We’ve learned that tourist police are not to be trusted as one stole some money from us, the only theft we’ve had on our entire trip. We’ve learned to stay away from the corn flakes in small hotels. We’ve learned to try and be a little more patient and understanding of individuals despite leering, rude comments, hygiene and just overall nastyness of some people. Of course unpleasant experiences are to be expected with any long –term travel and we try to take them in stride.

Our Tiger Crew at the Jehangir Palace in Orchha, India
From left to right, Pamela, Dave, Carol, Linda, Steph, Liz, Yaddu

The food here was great in India and we had many-many good and big meals. Had you told me that I was going to gain weight here in India I probably wouldn’t have believed you. We didn’t eat much western style food while in India but we sure pigged out on the local cuisine. I’m going to miss the daily curries and naan. We also didn’t get any type of food borne illnesses, no case of the Delhi Belly or anything resembling…I know that’s a bit too much information but hey.

Pamela having a big jump in front of the Taj

What’s Next
Europe and the Middle East is next on our agenda. We’ll be making some short stops in Athens and Paris before heading to Turkey, Jordan, Egypt and the U.A.E.  In between all the sightseeing we’ve booked ourselves a week at a Dead Sea resort in Jordan for some rest and relaxation.  We have quite a bit on our agenda in the Middle East and will probably be exhausted by the time we board our plane for Los Angeles a few days before Christmas.

Budget and Health
We’re still pretty much on track with our budget. Booking the extra days at the Dead Sea resort put us a couple dollars above our daily average target but we think it will be worth it. Otherwise we did really well in the Maldives, considering it was the Maldives and didn’t spend too much on souvenirs in India.

As for health, we are both doing well considering we’ve been on the road for a while.  Unfortunately I (DW) have some small eye infection, supposedly caused by dust, which I have to use eye drops for the next two weeks and can’t wear my contact lenses. Nothing to be concerned about though.

Thanks for reading and we hope you enjoy! Stay tuned…

Cheers for Now -

Pamela and Dave

Taj Mahal - Celebrity for a Day

I distinctly remember the first time I laid eyes on the Taj Mahal. We were several miles away at the Red Fort of Agra walking across the drawbridge. Even from several miles away the Taj captured my eye and imagination, I couldn’t wait to get there and see this monument to love up-close and personal. It was hard to focus on the monument I was looking at because I knew the Taj was so close.

Finally it was time! Our driver dropped us off a little ways away from the actual Taj gates and we boarded an electric bus for the final mile or so. There’s an exclusion zone around the Taj that prevents pollution spitting motor vehicles from getting too close. The electric bus dropped us off near the gates and we gave our gels, liquids and mobile phones to our tour leader for storage at a hotel. There are some interesting rules about what you can and can’t bring in with you. The good thing is you can bring in one bottle of unopened water. We queued up through a metal detector then search and were in the door of the east gate.

Stepping through the gates for the first time you’re instantly blown away, it’s almost a pinch yourself moment, you’re actually at the Taj Mahal. We started our visit by having some photos taken of us and our group. There are many “professional” photographers there who are more than happy to take your picture, you pick them up later and pay 100 rupees ($2 USD) each for any picture you want, no obligation to buy. Following the photos we were off to explore the Taj. All the while people were stopping us to get their photos taken with us or of us. I’ve never felt like more of a celebrity in my life, in some cases someone would ask to take one picture, then another and another until you were surrounded. It was good fun for a while, then kind of annoying. For just one day we got a small glimpse of what celebrities have to go through on a daily basis.

Following a large photo session we dawned some plastic shoe covers and made our way onto the marble platform which lies the Taj Mahal. The building itself is encrusted with colorful designs made from thousands of semi-precious gemstones. There is a mausoleum housed inside the Taj but the line was way too long and hectic for us to go in. We stayed outside and took many pictures while walking around the complex. The sun went down and the picture opportunities stopped.

Getting Here
The Taj Mahal is in the town of Agra. Visitors from Delhi can easily catch a train or luxury bus to Agra. There are plenty of hotels and tour companies in Agra. We stayed at the Royale Residency Hotel, it was the nicest amenity-wise of all the hotels we stayed at in India. Unfortunately there was a construction project going on next door and we were kept up with the sounds of generators, hammers and people chatting.

Just a small warning if you’re planning on visiting the Taj Mahal. Agra itself is one of the most polluted places I’ve ever been, at least it was the day we were there. I could taste the dirt in the air and visibility was very-very low thanks to all the pollution. The Taj Mahal in some of our pictures looks like it’s shrouded in clouds, unfortunately those were clouds of smog. Just keep this in mind if you’re planning a visit. A scarf or bandana over the face helped in breathing and anyone with a hint of asthma should have their inhalers around.

All the pics from our visit to the Taj can be found here: https://picasaweb.google.com/117257906652666550268/TajMahal?authuser=0&feat=directlink

Cheers for Now -

Pamela and Dave

Searching for Tigers - Part One - Bandhavgarh

On the way to our first safari

Searching for tigers in the wild is tough business. A tigers stripes and color patterns make it one of the most perfectly camouflaged animals on the planet. Have you ever visited a tiger cage at a zoo and had a hard time spotting the tiger right away, even if you were standing still for a minute? A tiger can blend in so well with its surroundings, even in a zoo enclosure, that spotting them can be really hard. Searching for wild tigers here in India is kinda like that, except the tiger can be anywhere through a dense jungle and you’re sitting on the back of a jeep going 10 to 20 kilometers an hour.

So very hectic waiting to get into the park

We started our quest for tigers at the Bandhavgarh National Park in the Indian state of Manesh Pradesh. Bandhavgarh park is said to have the highest population density of wild tigers in the world and therefore the best place in the world to spot them. The main area of the park is 106 square kilometers and per park rangers (and some fact checking) is said to contain 23 tigers. This is approximately one tiger per every 5 square kilometers, really-really good numbers.

Sunset from the back of our jeep

Our first of three jeep safaris picked us up at our resort at 2:30pm on a Monday afternoon. The jeeps hold up to six guests and have spots for a driver and guide. From the resort you drive to the park entrance, fill out some paperwork, pick up an official ranger/guide, and you’re on your way. This process can take up to an hour so as with anything in India, bring your patience. After the formalities are done you’re on your way through the park with eyes wide open hoping to spot the elusive tiger. While searching for the tiger you’ll come along all sorts of deer, monkeys, wild boar and birds. It’s nice to stop and take a couple photos of the deer but in the end you’re here for tigers so you don’t stop for long.

One of the many Spotted Deer you'll see in the park.

One of the many Langur Monkeys, Two of our jeepmates got urinated on by one of these from a tree.

Next thing you know you’re whizzing along in the jeep and the guide will suddenly tell the driver to stop. It’s a tiger track, and a fresh one at that! We sit for several minutes and listen to the langur monkeys shout their alarm calls (meaning a tiger is moving nearby) and we wait. Our pulse is on the rise, maybe the hair on the back of your neck is standing-up and we’re so excited because we think we’re about to see one of the most endangered big cats on the planet. Five minutes of excitement turn into 10 minutes of disappointment when your guide tells the driver to continue on. The monkeys have stopped alarming and the tiger is gone.

Hoping to see tigers.

We left the official park disappointed after our first jeep safari, all feeling a bit down from not spotting a tiger. As we’re driving down the main road towards the town we see a large commotion ahead. Many jeeps are parked along the road and staring at something in the trees to the left. Our driver slams on the gas and races up to the commotion, nearly colliding with other jeeps to get the best vantage point. We look to our left and there he is, the elusive Bengal Tiger!! We found one and are so very excited, the whole reason we’ve come to India is to spot the tiger and we’ve done it!! Unfortunately the tiger, a big male, is so well camouflaged that we can just make out his head and body behind some bushes and trees at a distance of 25 meters. Still our cameras are snapping, people are yelling, jeeps are posturing for position, and more and more people are coming to watch. Even the locals driving by stop to have a look. After about 5 minutes the tiger decided he had enough of the commotion, got up (boy he was massive) and walked back into the thicker jungle. He was gone in second, the elusive Bengal Tiger!! Unfortunately the visibility was too poor for any of the photos to come out but we did manage to get the tiger on video which we’ll be able to publish in time for part two of this article.

We took two more jeep safaris at the Bandhavgarh park, one early AM safari, leaving the hotel at 5:30am and one more afternoon safari. Unfortunately neither of the safaris turned out a tiger sighting, we got close to a couple of tigers but never laid eyes on them. The lack of a sighting on these safaris was a bit disappointing, I even tried the old rally cap method but even that didn’t work. We were fortunate enough to see one wild tiger while at the park and that’s more than most people will ever see in their lives.

This is the sign you see as you're leaving the park. Very fitting.

Getting to Bandhavgarh
It’s not easy, not easy at all. From Delhi we boarded an overnight train to the city of Katni. The train left Delhi at 3:30pm and arrived in Katni 14 hours later at 5:30am. Overnight on the train we slept in 3^rd class A/C cabins on three tier bunks, Pamela in the middle bunk and me (DW) on the top bunk. If doing it again we would definately pay for a more expensive train ticket and go at least 2^nd class. We didn’t feel all that safe in our carriage and had to sleep on our backpacks to ensure their safety. From Katni we took a jeep for three hours, some over a very very bumpy road, to the park area. Our older model 4WD car’s suspension didn’t make the bumps any easier either!

While in Bandhavgarh we stayed at Mogli’s Jungle Resort. The resort was really nice, staff very friendly, cabins were cozy, food was really good, but there was no hot water. The second night we used an electric water heater and basically showered using the bucket method. I poured warm water over Pamela while she washed and vice versa, it was pretty funny. We found out later that the hot water wasn’t working because the resort had just opened for the season and the boiler was in need of repair. In any case we’d recommend the resort for anyone coming to the Bandhavgarh area.

Wrapping this long article up…It was a bit disappointing that we only saw one tiger in Bandhavgarh but then we could have just as easily seen no tigers so in the end we are very grateful for the experience. Stay tuned for part two of this article where we travel to Ranthambore National Park in the hopes of spotting even more tigers.

Cheers for Now -

Pamela and Dave